The Getaway
by LordOfTheBagels
Summary: Something a little different. Jack, Seth and Sara are joined in the cab by Mike, a fugitive on the run from a Las Vegas gang. But is Mike quite what he seems, and can he help the alien siblings return home? Rated for occasional bad language and violence. R&R Greatly appreciated! :D
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys,**

**I wrote this story soon after I first saw the film, way back in 2011, but didn't have the nerve to post it. The other day I came across it on the dark depths of my hard drive and thought why the hell not, better late than never! I know it's pretty bad, but I reckon it's a little bit different to most of the things in this section of FanFiction. Although it is based on the events depicted in the movie, I made quite a lot of changes to fit in my new main character as I wanted to tell the same-ish story from a different angle rather than just repeat the events of the film. It's also not a romance as many of the other RTWM stories are (don't get me wrong, lots of them are awesome).  
**

**The major thing is, the character I added is male - I tried to make the plot seem like it revolves round him, so the story follows his actions (don't worry, there's still plenty of the other characters in there).**

**There is some bad language (mostly on this page) and violence in the later parts of the story. I felt some was necessary to illustrate my character's persona to the full.  
**

**Thanks so much for reading this, if you would take the time to read the rest or even write a review I would be amazingly grateful! I have some other stuff sitting on my computer so if this goes down well I might post that in the future.  
**

**Oh, and one more thing. I've tried to spruce up this story by creating a YouTube playlist, with a song for every chapter. I reckon it helps set the mood. The link to it can be found on my profile.  
**

**Cheers again,  
**

**-Bagel**

_**- The Getaway -**_

The figure was running fast now. He pelted down the Las Vegas sidewalks, dodging small children, pets and dustbins alike. He threw occasional glances over his shoulder, searching for his pursuers. Sure enough, there they were.

_C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. Not far now._

He knew they were gaining on him and one more glance confirmed his fears. A dark grey Ford Galaxy reared up beside him, weaving through the morning traffic, and he didn't need another glance to tell him there was a 9mm suppressed Glock 17 on the other side of that blacked-out rear window.

_Shit. Not gonna make it. Need a plan B._

Frantically the slight figure looked for a way off the sidewalk, a place he knew would soon become his graveyard unless he found an exit.

_There! Plan B._

He darted down the narrow alleyway that had opened up on his left, heading away from the road.

_Phew. Still in the game._

A loud screech reached his ears as the car carrying his pursuers attempted a handbrake turn in the busy Vegas streets. Unfortunately nobody had informed the driver that handbrake turns are notoriously difficult in busy roads, especially in a Ford Galaxy. As if to verify this fact, several more screeches cut the morning air followed by a sickening double _thud_.

_Ouch, gotta hurt. Tally up another to 'lil ol me._

This sentiment was short lived however, as he slowed to a jog and reached the end of the alley he spotted two large men busting a gut down the sidewalk, coming straight for him.

_Bloody hell, these guys don't give up easy._

He immediately resumed his sprint as the slightly less than dynamic duo rounded a corner and took up the chase. One of the men, who had the distinctly unclean aura of hired muscle, moved to cut him off. The other man, who just had a distinctly unclean aura, attempted to catch him up. Taking in all this without breaking his stride, he noticed that they were in a Taxi parking lot.

_Perfect. I could use some wheels._

"TAXI!"

He made a beeline for the nearest cab, which was idling in the centre of the exit road, much to the apparent frustration of the vehicles behind. Upon reaching the taxi he scrabbled for the door handle and threw himself into the front seat. The driver, who held a wad of cash in his hand, turned to face him.

"Hell, another one!" The driver exclaimed. "Can I help you?"

"Drive. Just drive. Driving would be very helpful." Panted the sudden entrant.

"Just hold on ther…"

"Please? I have money!" He pleaded, as something that sounded suspiciously like a bullet pinged off the cab's bonnet and a nearby parking meter drunkenly keeled over.

"Ok fine, it's like that then." Muttered the driver, flooring the accelerator. The taxi leapt forward and the passenger side wing mirror splintered.

The driver muttered something about seven years bad luck and continued up the road at breakneck speed. After a seemingly indeterminate period, he pulled over.

"Ok, I think we lost 'em. Now would you mind telling me what that was all about?" asked the driver.

"Nothing much… I had a minor disagreement with those two gentlemen back there." Came the reply.

"Minor disagreement! They were taking pot-shots at you!"

"Oh, you noticed. Well… Slightly more than minor."

"Okay okay." Said the cabbie, raising his hands. "The less I know, the better. Now, I guess you wanna go somewhere?"

Checking the top mirror for signs of pursuit, the passenger noticed he was not alone in the cab with the driver – there were two other occupants, both teenagers and seemingly identical, although one was male and the other female.

"They were here first - I'll go wherever they're goin'." He answered.

"Fine. And where might that be?" Said the driver, turning to face the two residents of the rear seat.

Paying no further attention to the conversion, the inhabitant of the passenger seat open a zipper pocket in his leather jacket and took out a packet of sweets, Haribos to be exact.

_Ahh, Haribo. No better way to unwind after a hard morning's chasing._

Noticing the driver had turned back and was putting the cab into gear, he offered him the packet. The driver gleefully accepted, stuffing in a fist and bringing out a handful before swallowing them whole.

"Thanks, bud. I'm Jack by the way." Said the driver, offering his hand and swerving to avoid a six-wheeler. "Mike." Said the passenger, shaking the driver's extended hand.

Mike turned to face the back seat. "Sorry for hijacking your cab back there, as you can see, I'm a bit of a trouble magnet!" He explained in a jovial fashion, hoping his weak attempt at humour would be enough to appease the cold stares he was sure were boring into the back of his skull.

"It is fine." Replied the girl simply, who was sitting behind the front passenger seat. The boy, seated behind the driver, didn't look up and continued studying the device he held carefully in both hands.

_Hmm. Maybe he only stares when you're not watching._

Mike turned back to face the front without making further attempt at conversation. He knew when he wasn't wanted.

_Thing is, if I get out here those guys will find me again and maybe I won't be so lucky next time._

He would just have to wait out the journey; maybe the heat would quieten down after sunset. He'd had enough of Sin City anyway and, by the looks of things, they were heading out into the desert.

Time passed - they were deep in the desert now, and the midday sun was beating down. Jack and Matt had made small talk for a while, punctuated by occasional Haribos, but had lapsed into silence a while back.

"Jack Bruno, the vehicles behind us are indicating a pattern of pursuit." A worried voice suddenly rang out from the back. Instinctively Mike turned to see out the back window. Sure enough, three black 4x4s were on their tail.

_You can't be serious._ Contemplated Mike. _Not again. Mikey, it just ain't your day._

"There's no vehicles' following. Relax kid!" Jack replied nonchalantly, addressing the girl on the back seat.

"At your current rate of speed versus theirs, they will overtake our vehicle in less than one minute." She reiterated.

"I'm just gonna let them pass. Open road people, it's all yours!" Jack wound down the window and waved the 4x4s on." "See what'd I tell ya, nobody is following us - I'm king of these roa…" Jack was cut off by a cry of "Jack Bruno!" from the back seat and the whole world disintegrated into a melee of dust, squealing tyres and roaring engines.

_You're in a life and death situation and yet you still use someone's full name to alert them. How weird is that!_ Thought Mike and instantly felt stupid for doing so. The mind picks up on odd things in moments of high stress.

Jack was wrenching the wheel from side to side and clashing his gears for all he was worth, muttering all the while.

"Who is Mr. Wolf, Jack Bruno?" A plaintive voice inquired from the back seat.

"How do you know that..." Came the reply, partially cut off by a 4x4 smashing into the side of the already breaking up taxi.

"ARGH!" Mike banged his head on the passenger door.

"Get down now!" Bellowed Jack and sent the cab spinning, taking out one of the pursuers.

"Jack Bruno, it would appear that we have not eluded all of them."

Mike chose that moment to awaken from the trance inflicted by dashing his brains on the door moments earlier.

"I got this." A black tube appeared in Mike's hand and he lobbed it out of the smashed window. There was a muffled _thwack_ and one of the two remaining vehicles span off the road, out of control.

_Stinger, mothafucka._

"Two down, one to go!" Called Mike cheerfully, reaching for another cylinder. His hand came back empty.

_Damn, must have dropped it during that chase. Curse you, hired muscle._

"Stay down, stay down!" Jack yelled, trying to coax every last drop of power from the dying taxi.

For the second time today, Mike threw a glance over his shoulder to check for his pursuers. Except this time, he wasn't expecting what he saw. The boy, seated behind the driver, fell **through **his seat. Almost immediately, the lad appeared in the path of the oncoming 4x4, taking up a strong stance. Mike could hardly watch as the 4x4 charged towards the teen, showing no signs of slowing down. At last the car hit him. And it was the car that crumpled and flipped. The boy was apparently unharmed and the stricken 4x4 was rolling over and over down the road.

Mike was so stunned, he initially failed to register that the cab was now traveling backwards, towards the wreck. A steady stream of expletives directed at the taxi was coming from the driver's seat, so he suspected the same could not be said for Jack.

Considering the events of the past ten seconds, Mike was hardly surprised when the boy appeared back through the seat, leaving him sitting in exactly the same place he had been before. At that instant, the cab screeched to a halt.

"You guys okay?" Asked Jack. Mike realised the driver must've missed the entire falling-through-seat-and-turning-into-superman episode unfolding behind him.

The two teens on the back seat nodded slowly.

"Right. Stay here." Said Jack, steel in his voice. Purposefully, he pulled a tyre spanner from his glove compartment and stepped outside.

_First things first. Time for another Haribo._

Mike dipped into his jacket pocket and fished out a red one.

_My favourite. Now, time for some answers._

But before he could question the occupants of the back seat, the cabbie returned, slamming the door and thrusting the spanner back into the glove compartment. He started the engine (which mysteriously worked perfectly now) and drove off.

Jack was the first to break the silence. "How're you holding up back there?"

"We're fine." The girl replied.

"Listen… I'm sorry I dragged you into all of this." Said the driver.

"There's no need for you to apologize Jack Bruno. You're not always the one to blame. However, the urgency of our trip has not decreased." Explained the girl.

_Oops. She thinks those 4x4s were after me._

"Look, don't worry, I'll get you to where you need to go. You've earned it." Replied Jack. He then addressed Mike. "I don't know where you plan on going, but nice work with the stinger. I trust that particular lump 'o hardware didn't come from your disagreement earlier?"

Matt chuckled. "I've had plenty 'o disagreements."


	2. Chapter 2

"Look, I don't even know your names – I'm Mike." Said Mike, swiveling in his seat.

"Is that important?" Replied the boy, without looking up. Mike realised that was the first time he had heard him speak.

"Pay no attention to my brother, Michael Elmsworth. He is just engrossed in the importance of our mission. My name is Sara and his is Seth."

"Honest pleasure." Replied Mike politely, relieved that at least one of the siblings was able to conduct a civil conversation. "But please, just Mike. 'Lil snappier off the tongue."

_Hold on, how did she know my last name?_

Mike was snapped out of his thoughts by Sara leaning forward and stating "We're here Jack Bruno."

"Here? But there's nothing!" Jack pointed out as they approached the crest of a hill. On the other side was a broken down old shack. "Oh. Somebody's expecting you two, right? It don't look like anyone's home."

"Don't worry Jack Bruno, we will soon be reunited with relatives." Sara reassured him.

"Okay, $720.50." Said Jack, checking the meter. "But after everything that went down today, how about I knock off 25% and I also..."

Seth had shoved another wad of cash into Jack's hand as soon as the car had stopped, and both siblings were heading for the door of the shack.

"Okay then… Goodbye to you too." Jack muttered. He sat there for a moment, counting the money. "Ahhh…" He murmured, obviously mentally wrestling with himself. Eventually he got out and hollered "Hey! You guys overpaid! By a lot!"

There was no response.

"Unbelievable."

He ducked his head back inside the car and addressed Mike. "We'll talk when I get back ok, just give me a sec." Mike nodded his approval and watched as Jack made his way to the door of the shack, knocked, and went in.

A few moments passed. Mike was very tired and was just dozing off when he was fully awoken by noticing movement, out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, but it had already gone.

_Hmm. Maybe Jack's on his way back._

Suddenly a muffled explosion sounded from the depths of the house, causing Mike to jump.

_This just keeps getting better and better._

Mike opened the car door and stepped outside, zipping up his jacket. It was attached to his trousers, creating a kind of all-leather jumpsuit. He reached for his pockets, checking they were all in order. Popping a final Haribo into his mouth, he made for the shack's door.

That was when the ground collapsed.


	3. Chapter 3

Mike fell for what seemed like an age, but what was probably no more than two seconds. His back hit the ground first, sending shockwaves up and down his spine.

_The suit saves my sorry ass once again._

He gingerly got to his feet, stretching his limbs one by one to make sure everything still worked. He wasn't overly surprised that everything did, for his clothes contained flexible spines designed to prevent broken bones – similar to the technology used in goalkeeping gloves.

Mike then attempted to orientate himself. He was standing beneath a small palm tree, which must have broken his fall somewhat. He appeared to be in a dense jungle, with creepers and small insects he couldn't recognise in abundance.

He took a few steps forward, and found himself face to face with a wall.

_Of course. I'm in a cave. I've seen places like this on TV._

Spinning around, he set off in the opposite direction, finding the jungle much sparser the further he got from the wall.

"Run, run, run!" Mike heard Jack bellow.

_They must be down here too. But what are they running from?_

Mike broke into a run and came out into a clearing, just in time to see the cabbie attempt to flying tackle a huge armoured creature. The thing just picked Jack up and threw him away, before continuing to take massive steps towards a clump of trees.

_Oh. I see._

Seth and Sara broke cover from behind the trees and made a dash for a hole in the cave's wall. Darth Vader raised his arm and a round object emerged, which Mike assumed to be a weapon. He was right, and Vader opened fire on the two teens, narrowly missing them.

_They're not gonna make it. I need a distraction. Whatever this thing is, it's got a major grudge against these two._

At that moment a volley of stray fire from Vader sliced off a branch that fell, narrowly missing Mike.

_Aha! Distraction._

Using all his strength, Mike hauled the branch above his head and hurled it at Vader's head. The branch just bounced off, but it seemed to cause the monster some confusion, which gave Seth and Sara enough time to dive into the exit hole.

_Ok, I'm on my own, in a cave, with Evil Iron Man. What could possibly go wrong?_

Now that the teenagers had escaped, Vader focussed his attention solely on Mike, squeezing off a volley of fire that singed his boots.

_Well, that's a good start._

But Mike had forgotten about Jack who, seemingly undeterred by what happened last time, threw himself at Vader, catching the colossus off balance and causing it to stumble.

Several puffs of fire emanated from the exit tunnel, hitting Vader squarely in the face and making it fall over with a clang. Mike sprinted over to Jack, who was already on his feet, and together they ran to the exit where the siblings were waiting for them. Together they legged it up the tunnel and Seth struggled to close a thick concrete door, attempting to slow the monstrosity in the cave down.

The four reached the other end of the tunnel and Mike found himself in the kitchen of the broken down old shack – he had just come out the fridge.

Seth slammed the fridge door closed and leant back on it, panting. Bad move. Vader must have been closer than expected and the fridge door exploded, knocking the four to the ground and setting fire to the cupboards. Through the smoke, Mike could see Jack and Sara were getting to their feet, but Seth had been thrown against the wall and was out cold.

"Jack! 'Lil help!" Called Mike as he attempted to get to reach the unconscious Seth. Sara tried to buy him some time by throwing pieces of furniture into the tunnel.

_Hold on. How can she throw a dresser?_

There was little time to ponder this though, as Mike lifted Seth up onto Jack's shoulder. He was surprisingly heavy.

_What does this guy eat?!_

Jack kicked down the door and Mike and Sara ran for the taxi with the cabby loping behind carrying Seth. Mike held the door while Jack laid Seth down on the back seat before jumping in himself.

Jack revved the engine and the cab raced away from the shack, now engulfed in flames.

The sound of heavy, smoke-hampered breathing gradually subsided and Mike noticed a nasty gash on Seth's left arm, oozing blood.

"Hey how's he doing?" Jack asked Mike.

Sara answered for him. "His system has the ability…" At that moment Seth's eyes snapped open and he sat up sharply, almost head butting Mike in the face. "I will be fine." He said assertively, pushing Mike away and covering his cut with his sleeve.

_What the hell is going on with these two?_

"It is important we gain much distance from this location." Continued Seth.

"Well, I'm happy you're feeling better, because you're gonna need your strength when you explain to me just what happened back there!" Finished Jack angrily. He pulled over into a lay-by.

"Alright here's the deal. The cab doesn't move until your mouths do."


	4. Chapter 4

"The information you are seeking is not within your grasp of understanding." Explained Seth in a somewhat patronising fashion.

We are dealing with issues outside the realm of... your world." Continued Sara.

"Hey I'm a cab driver okay? I've had plenty of worldly experien..." Jack was cut off mid-way through his return by the terrifying sight of a large black flying saucer approaching, surrounded by a ring of lights.

"Sara! We have to go!" Pleaded Seth.

"What the frick is that?" Exclaimed Mike, who was under the impression it would be the last thing he ever saw.

The cab lurched forward, startling Jack and forcing him to cling onto the steering wheel for dear life.

Mike heard a whispered conversation taking place next to him, but couldn't make out the words over the noise of the engine and the noise of the… Thing… In the sky above them.

Jack spoke quietly. "Just tell us what that thing is. I want real answers."

"It's a Siphon." Answered Sara. "An assassin trained to pursue his  
target until his mission is completed." Continued Seth.

"And his mission is?" Asked Mike, his voice low.

"Us." Completed Sara, sounding absolutely terrified.

_Oh dear._

Right on cue, the Siphon open fire on the taxi, the blasts rocking it from side to side. A particularly near miss caused Jack to lose control of the cab, and they span onto some nearby railway tracks. Jack jammed the throttle as wide as it would go and they shot into a tunnel, effectively preventing the Siphon from pursuing them.

Jack killed the lights and switched off the engine. The Siphon was out there, searching for them. It paused, hovering over the tunnel mouth. A strange blue light shone out of the base of the craft, like a searchlight. Mike crossed his fingers and vowed not to eat so many Haribos if they got out of this alive. He looked across at the siblings. Sara was stock still in her seat, eyes wide open and biting her lower lip. Seth however maintained the same, cold expression as usual but his jaw was tight and his fists balled.

After what seemed like an eternity, the blue light vanished and the Siphon shot off into the night. It seemed like the sighs of relief could have been audible in Australia.

Jack started the engine, switched the lights back on and they exited the tunnel, driving slowly as on their right was a cliff.

"Is there a safer route, Jack Bruno?" Inquired Sara.

"Not unless you know how to fly." Came the reply.

Apparently the Siphon did, as his ship popped out from behind a cloud and zoomed towards the cab.

"Oh, great!" Muttered Mike sarcastically.

_You jinx._

"Jack Bruno!" Screamed Sara.

"Come on come on, hold it together!" Jack murmured at his badly damaged cab, desperately hoping his willpower was enough to keep the engine from packing up.

They shot into a tunnel, a much larger one this time, and the Siphon continued to chase as a train's horn sounded in the distance.

"Oh come on…" Grunted Jack in disgust.

"Faster, faster!" Seth yelled.

"It won't go any faster!" The driver was panicking now.

"Sara! Now!" Called Seth and, somehow, the taxi found some more power. The speedometer staggered forwards. They could see the train's lights now, getting ever closer as they raced towards certain death.

"Hold on!"

"Watch out!"

"AAAAAAAAARGH!"

They slipped out of the tunnel with millimeters to spare, as the train roared past them into the tunnel. The Siphon had no such luck however, and the ship smashed into the meaty freight train. The explosion threw the wagons into the air, and they came smashing down around the cab. Jack crunched the gears and somehow squeezed underneath a falling carriage and careered past a level crossing and onto the road.

"Phew… That was a close one". It was the driver who spoke. Nobody could find the breath to reply and they drove on, into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack was outside, working on the engine. Mike joined him.

"Sup." Grunted the cabbie.

"Hey." Mike returned, leaning on the door.

Jack finished whatever he was doing slammed the bonnet shut.

"Couple of kids, big wad of cash. What could go wrong!"

Mike nodded his agreement and they both climbed into their seats, Mike riding up front again – sitting next to Seth was unnerving.

"We know you're frustrated, Jack Bruno." Sara ventured.

"Ok, you know what? No more Jack Bruno this, Jack Bruno that. I've been asking for answers and that's what I want."

"You already know the answers, Jack Bruno. My brother and I… Are indeed not from your planet."

There was a silence while the occupants of the two front seats digested this little titbit.

Finally, Jack gathered enough composure to speak.

"So, that's it? Mystery solved!" He spluttered, a hint of sarcasm creeping into his voice. "You two honestly want me to believe that you're aliens?"

"It is the truth." Replied Seth calmly.

"Well, you don't look like aliens." He reasoned.

"Well, what does an alien look like, Jack Bruno?"

"You know full well what aliens look like! They look like, little... Little green people, with antennas and laser guns and take me to your leader earthlings!"

Mike stifled a snigger at the cabby's definition. He could see his point.

"He requires some sort of proof. He thinks we're insulting his intelligence." Sara explained to Seth, who was getting more and more wound up by Jack's antics.

"You think?!" The driver exploded. "You can't drop the we're aliens bomb just like that on somebody! Now, I know I've seen some pretty weird things today, but you can't expect me to believe tha…" He trailed off as a large quantity of loose objects within the car began to float.

"I have the ability to move objects with my mind." Sara clarified.

"But… That's impossible!" Murmured the cabbie, still in awe of the CDs and sweets floating around his head.

"No it's quite possible, on our planet as well as yours. You don't do it because you haven't learned to use your full brain capacity." Stated Sara.

"No, I don't do it because it's kinda creepy and I would really like you to stop." Jack requested, his voice shaky.

Sara did as she was asked and gently lowered the objects to the floor.

As she did so her eyes widened. "Jack Bruno!"

There were midair lights approaching them at high speed. Mike couldn't believe it.

_This Syphon thing is bloody indestructible! Here we go again…_

Jack's hand flew to the ignition key, wrenching it round. But the taxi refused to start.

"Come on! Come on, come on, come on!"

The lights were getting closer fast, almost on top of them now.

"Oh COME ON!"

A huge truck passed them, sounding its horn and flashing its headlights.

_Jeez, panic over._

The driver turned the key once again and the cab started first time. Muttering unrepeatable phrases, Jack shoved the car into gear and they sped off into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack drove the taxi to a small service garage in a nearby town. After a brief conversation with the mechanic, involving forced laughter, persuasion and much money, Jack walked across to Mike, who was leaning on the cab, hands in pockets.

"Mike, I'm taking the kids… Uhh, I mean aliens… For some food over there." Jack indicated a restaurant down the high street. A large sign swung over it, with the words _Ray's Diner_.

"You comin'?" Inquired the cabbie.

"Err no thanks, I've got some stuff I wanna attend to." Replied Mike.

"Please yourself. Right, let's go kids."

Jack, Seth and Sara made their way to the restaurant and went inside. While Eddie got to work on the car, Mike headed down the road to a telephone box. Casting a furtive look around, he went inside.

Leaning back on the wall of the cramped compartment, he dialled a number. On the third ring the phone was answered.

"Hullo?" It was a man at the other end. He spoke in a deep voice with a British accent.

"It's me, W." Mike introduced himself.

"W, hey, how's it going?"

"It's all good. I did what you asked – I doubt they'll be bothering you again sir."

"Good show! Y'know, you're always welcome to come over for a drink…"

"I'm grateful for the offer sir, but you know the rules. Just work."

"Fine, fine. Well I appreciate you taking the time to call."

"No problem sir. If you need anything else, you know where to reach me."

"Indeed. Cheerio then."

"Bye for now sir."

Mike replaced the receiver.

_Another satisfied customer. Now, let's take a look at my kit._

He spent a few minutes checking through various pockets in his jacket. When he was satisfied everything was in order, he stepped out of the phone box and strode back to the garage. He immediately sensed something was wrong. There were six large black jeeps pulled up outside the restaurant across the street, and the place was swarming with soldiers who bore no insignia.

_Goddamit, what now._

Keeping low he raced across the road, heading for the garage. On the way he spotted Jack, Seth and Sara on the roof of the restaurant, attempting to climb down onto a caravan parked beside the building.

_The roof? Is nothing normal with these guys?_

Mike reached the garage and jumped into the driver's seat, started the engine and reversed out onto the street. He hopped out and opened a rear door.

"Your carriage awaits _mademoiselle_." He said ironically, bowing low.

Sara jumped in, closely followed by Seth, who gave Mike a funny look on the way past. Mike closed the door and dramatically leapt over the bonnet of the taxi before swinging himself into the passenger seat.

Jack was the last one to reach the cab, slamming his foot on the accelerator almost before he had both legs in. The noise of the taxi alerted the soldiers to their presence, who immediately open fire, bullets pinging off the tarmac around the cab.

Sara somehow managed to blow up several jeeps as they drove past, buying them enough time to reach the relative safety of the main road. Suddenly, the cab ground to a halt.

"No, no, no, NO!" Jack cried in disbelief. "Not now, not now! Sara... Sara! Are you doing this? Sara, I said…"

Sara opened the rear door and in bounded a large dog.

"Oh, absolutely not! This… This Junkyard is not going with us!" The cabbie was really riled now. "I am done picking up stray passengers!"

Bullets started whistling past them so Jack was forced to drive off, Junkyard and all.

There was a period of silence, eventually broken by Seth addressing Jack. "It is vital that you take us to their base of operation."

"Ok, just hold on a sec. You want me to take you to the guys who are trying to kill you?! Let me explain to you how we do things here, on Earth. People who want you dead, you avoid. That way you stay alive. Make sense?" Replied the driver. He was not having a good day.

"No one on your planet will stay alive, if we do not return to our planet. In order to return, we need our ship. Those men who are trying to kill us have stolen our ship. Make sense?" Seth shot back, the same stony look as ever upon his features.

_Wow, you must be great fun at parties._

As if reading his mind, Sara suppressed a smile.

_Even if she could, that wouldn't be the strangest thing that's happened today._

_I can._

_Uhh… Hello? Who said that?_

_It's me, Sara._

_You said that without moving your lips._

_As I said, I can read minds._

_Yeah well… Could you get out of my head?_

_As you wish._

Sara addressed everyone. "Where do you suggest we begin our search?"

"I don't suggest we begin searching at all. I do suggest we head back to Vegas, and drop you off right where you got on." Replied Jack, still sore from his argument with Seth.

"You too." He addressed Mike. Mike decided it would be best to let things blow over.

"It's just as I thought. No human is going to help us, Sara. Especially not this human." Said Seth loudly.

"Hey! Easy on the human bashing, okay? Some of my best friends just happen to be human. And even if I were to help you I wouldn't even know where to begin. I don't know anything about, about UFO's or aliens." Retorted the cabbie.

"Who is Dr. Alex Friedman?" Inquired Sara.

"She's… Actually somebody who can help." Replied Jack sheepishly. "And just for the record, she happens to be human."


	7. Chapter 7

Mike sat in the passenger seat of the taxi, staring out at the stars and chewing the odd Haribo. He didn't sleep much. Whenever he did, his dreams were haunted by repetitions of… That night.

Jack was snoozing beside him and Sara was asleep on the back seat, using Junkyard (the name stuck) as a pillow. They were parked in a lay-by, some way off the quiet main road.

Seth had got out as soon as Sara went to sleep, and was sitting propped against the boot, studying his device intently.

Mike finished his sweet, opened the door silently and went to join him. Seth studiously ignored him.

Not deterred by Seth's frosty attitude, Mike sat down beside him and leaned over to get a better look at the device he held. Seth instinctively pulled away.

Amused, Mike turned and reached into one of his many pockets. He pulled out a device identical to that belonging to Seth and held it in the same way. Seth almost jumped.

_Ha. That got his attention._

Now it was Seth's turn to lean over and get a better look. Sure enough, the two devices were indistinguishable.

"How did you come by that?" Inquired Seth, suddenly not so cold.

"It used to be my Dad's. He kept it inside a glass case in his office when he worked for the MOD." Replied Mike.

"MOD?"

"Ministry Of Defence. In England."

"Oh."

Seth continued to stare at the device.

"May I?" He asked quietly.

"Here." Mike handed it to him. Seth placed his index finger on the casing and immediately the face of the thing lit up, a bright blue colour.

"It works!" Exclaimed Mike.

"Of course it works. On my planet, technology is built to last centuries." Returned Seth, almost indignantly.

Mike couldn't suppress a chuckle at the dig against human design. "Your planet must be pretty awesome, huh?"

Seth smiled at the thought of it.

_Wow, he can smile. _Thought Mike. Then:_ Hope he can't read minds too._

"It used to be… But unless we get this experiment back, there will not be much left of either of our planets, at least… Not as we know them."

Seth looked up. Dawn was breaking.

"I should wake the others." He offered Mike the device back.

"You keep it – it belongs to your people." Mike declined.

"Thank you." He said, standing up and stretching. "Oh, and one more thing. Hands off my sister."

With that Seth turned and climbed back inside the taxi.

Mike stood a moment and realised Seth was referring to his antics with the taxi door last night. And could Seth have just tried to make a joke?

_Maybe he ain't so bad after all._

Jack pressed the horn as a signal it was time to go. Mike moved round to the front and jumped in.

Two hours and a highly disputed pee stop for Junkyard later, they arrived back in Las Vegas and pulled up outside the casino where Jack said Dr Alex Freedman would be.

The four went inside, immediately absorbed by the throng of excited tourists.

"Nutjobs." Jack growled, heading for the elevator with the teens in tow.

"Umm… Shall I wait here and keep watch?" Inquired Mike.

"Yeah, good idea. We'll meet you back here in thirty minutes." Replied Jack, closing the elevator doors.

Good luck finding the doctor!" Called Mike after them, acutely aware that he sounded like his namesake Micky from _Doctor Who_.


	8. Chapter 8

Mike had no intention of keeping watch. He had other business to attend to.

He was heading to his place of residence. It was in downtown Vegas, an old storage shed he had fitted out to fulfil his needs.

_Not much, but it's home._

Mike trudged along the sidewalk and made his way towards his industrial estate front garden. He could smell smoke quite strongly, which in itself was not unusual; there was a tyre factory next door.

Then he saw. Everything was gone. The entire place was burned to the ground, his shed, the cranes, the run-down old warehouses; the entire estate had been razed. Mike just stood there, his mouth agape.

_Surely not. Who the hell would…_

As if to answer his mental question, a volley of shots rang out, peppering the ground at his feet. Mike inwardly groaned; this was getting tiresome.

Keeping low, he sprinted to the charred remains of his shed.

_There. The box._

He flung himself down behind a piece of charred wood, next to a blackened but otherwise untouched combination safe box.

_I knew this would come in handy one day._

Quickly entering the combination, he reached inside and let out a satisfied grunt as his hand clasped the barrel of a semi-automatic Glock 17 handgun. He had found this weapon on a job three weeks ago and had pocketed it, for insurance.

He reached inside the box again and pulled out three magazines, each filled with Winchester Hollow-Point 9mm ammunition. He snapped one of these into the weapon, placing the rest in his jacket pocket.

_Excellent. Bring it on._

The last thing left in the box was a pair of M18 Wire-Pull Smoke Canisters. Clipping one to his belt, he pulled the pin from the other. Immediately smoke began to issue from the grenade.

_Red. I like red.  
_

Mike lobbed it into the space between him and the entrance and straight away the gunfire opened up again.

_3… 2… 1… GO!_

He sprinted through the all-enveloping cloud of smoke, firing three shots into the air to make his assailants keep their heads down.

He reached the entrance without incident and threw himself down behind a bush. The smoke began to clear, but Mike didn't stay to watch. He needed to get moving.

Having holstered his Glock in the inside pocket of his jacket, he strode down the back streets, on his way back to the casino.

_There's nothing left for me here now. Better get back to the others._

As he did so, he saw a convoy of jeeps drive past. They were exactly the same as the ones that chased them on the motorway the day before and those Sara had destroyed after escaping from that restaurant. And they were heading straight for the casino.

How many of those things have they got?!

Breaking into a run, he headed for where he left Jack, Sara and Seth.

_And I was supposed to be keeping watch. Urgh._

The jeeps were obviously faster than Mike, but he had one important advantage over them. He could go cross-country.


	9. Chapter 9

Mike was in his element. This housing layout was the reason he had chosen Sin City as his base – the terrain was perfect for speedy getaways. He was heading towards the casino, as the crow flies, about half a mile. He knew the convoy would be turning onto the main road now, giving them about a quarter of a mile to go.

_I'd better step on it._

He abruptly changed direction and sprinted across back gardens, hurdling fences and ducking under washing lines.

_Come on, come on._

He could see the short, squat building in the distance. He quickly realised the agents would block the main entrance hall, so he would have to take the back stairs.

He reckoned he had around thirty seconds before the jeeps reached the casino, which meant he would have to take an even shorter cut. He leapt over another wall and landed in a trench, obviously cut for use as a storm drain. This would take him straight to his destination.

He reached it and without stopping for breath, charged up the fire escape at the back of the building, slipping past an ajar fire door.

Two corridors later he was on the top floor of the conference area, amongst the costumed sci-fi fans.

_Where the hell do I start?! They could be anywhere!_

Right on cue, a tremendous noise filtered out of the slot machine room.

_Bingo._

There they were, running out of the Slot Machine room. Jack made for the elevator closely followed by the alien siblings. The elevator doors hissed open and the first one out was a woman, carrying a small bag. The cabbie grabbed her hand and the four headed towards the rear exit.

_Funny. The taxi's parked out the front._

Mike turned on his heel and went back the way he had come, reaching the fire escape was just in time to see them clamber into an RV.

"Hey, wait up!" He called, tearing down the external stairway.


	10. Chapter 10

Mike reached the RV, jumped in and slammed the door, sinking down against the wall. He was breathing heavily.

"What the hell were you thinking of? You were supposed to be keeping watch!" Yelled Jack. "They nearly had us back there!"

It was several seconds before Mike could find the breath to speak. "I just ran three blocks, fell in a drainage ditch and had a close encounter with multiple gun-toting maniacs. Give me a break ok?"

"Tell me about it..."

"I'm sorry I left you. It won't happen again."

"It'd better not…" The cabbie muttered, turning his attention back to the road.

The woman from the elevator popped her head round the front partition.

"Hi, I'm Alex." She smiled.

With great effort, Mike raised himself off the floor and shook hands with Alex.

"Good to meet ya."

Mike moved to the back of van and sat down on the sofa. He noticed a tear in the sleeve of his jacket, exposing a cable sewn inside the leather.

_Either I washed this on the wrong setting, or those shots came a lot closer than I thought._

"You guys had best get some shuteye – we got a long drive ahead of us." Jack's voice floated down the RV.

Mike smiled. Sara was already asleep, and Seth was nodding off too. He leant back and closed his eyes, noting that Jack and Alex were conversing quietly up front.

_Hehe, I reckon Jack has the hots for her._

Mike dozed for the next hour or so, before being awoken by Junkyard licking his palm. He saw that Sara was awake and watching.

He stood up and, so as not to wake Seth, moved quietly over to Sara. He perched on the arm of her seat.

"Where are we going exactly?" He asked, realising that he had no idea.

"Witch Mountain. The owner of this vehicle informed us that was the most likely location for the government to conceal our craft."

Before Mike could reply, Sara continued. "My brother informed me of your tracking device. He is extremely grateful to you for giving it to him, although it simply confirms our worst fears."

"Go on?" Said Mike, intrigued.

"You told Seth your father acquired it while working for the British Ministry Of Defence. Is this true?"

"Yeah…"

"That tracking device belonged to one of our peoples' most successful scientists. He would have never given it away voluntarily, as it was his only link to his ship. Which means… Which means he was…"

Sara lapsed into silence.

"I'm sorry." He ventured, appalled. "I had no idea my father was involved in this stuff – he told me he was a parachute designer."

Sara said nothing.

"We'll get you home, and the experiment. That's the least I can do."

"Thank you, Michael Elmsworth. Your gesture is much appreciated."

Seth was stirring on the other side of the RV. He sat up, his hair tousled.

"Jack?" He said.

"What's up pal?" Jack replied, looking over his shoulder.

"Are we there yet?"

"Are we there yet?!" Repeated Jack, smiling at Alex next to him.

"Good in any universe, apparently."

Jack received blank looks from the two aliens, making the humans occupants chuckle.

"Well, Alex?" Said the cabbie.

"Well, the maps are 30 years old, but they're the best intel we got. Looks to be about 5 miles from here to the entrance." Alex replied confidently, studying a large map.

"Okay then!" Jack tuned the RV onto a small dirt track and switched the engine off. "Let's rock and roll."

They disembarked and got going. They must have walked for miles, until eventually, they arrived on a mountain ledge, overlooking the main entrance. It was heavily fortified, and swarming with armed men.

"There's gotta be another entrance." Muttered Jack, surveying the gateway with a pair of binoculars.

Alex spoke. "If the map is correct, there are several service tunnels running outward. Worth lookin' for, right?"

"Let's go." Jack replied.

As they turned to leave, Sara stumbled and almost fell.

"Jack…" She murmured weakly, before collapsing altogether, out cold. "Sara!" Jack caught her before she could hit the ground and Seth rushed to her side. Before anyone could speak, the same thing happened to Seth. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Jack passed the limp form of Sara to Mike and moved to pick up the fallen Seth. But before he could do so, a squad of armed men appeared seemingly from nowhere, dressed all in black. They waved their guns in the direction of the three humans.

"Mr. Bruno! And, I believe, Dr. Freedman." A man in a suit and tie stepped out from behind a rock. His name badge identified him as _Henry Burke._

"What'd you do to them?" Yelled Alex furiously.

"Consider yourself lucky. I could've had you both shot on sight for trespassing in violation of U.S. government property." The government official replied calmly.

"Sara!" Cried Jack, as he saw the unconscious teen being carried past him in a tin foil blanket. He broke free of his the guard holding him and began attacking anyone he could reach. The escape attempt was short-lived however, as three other soldiers piled on top of him and began whacking him with their rifle butts.

Alex stepped forwards and addressed the sneering official. "Sir! With all do respect, you have to listen to me. They came in peace, we cannot respond with violence. The future of Earth depends on it. It is absolutely vital  
that they get home."

"They are home, Dr. Freedman. They are now in my custody." Came the cold reply.

"Custody? You can't expect to keep them prisoner and get away with it? They have rights!"

"They are illegal aliens on U.S. soil without so much as a passport. The Patriot Act enables me to detain them for as long as is necessary."

"You can't keep this quiet. The world has a right to know that they exist!"

"And you're gonna be the one to blow the whistle, Doctor?" The official's tone was mocking now. "A failed astro physicist, fired by three universities for obsessing over UFO's, teamed up with an ex-con and declaring the government has captured two normal looking kids and is holding them hostage inside  
a mountain that doesn't even exist! It'd be so much easier to let you speak than to deal with all the paper work involved with killing you."

"Someone will believe us." Jack cut in.

"From behind bars? Let me remind you Mr. Bruno, as a convicted felon you're looking at 20 years just for standing on this mountain talking to me. Shall I go on?"

That seemed to take the wind out of the cabby's sails. "No, I get the message."

Alex was so angry she was at a loss for words.

"Smart man. Give them a lift back down now. Oh, and one last thing… Who's this other little stray you seem to have picked up?" Asked the official, referring to Mike. "We ran him on the database but found nothing. Still, I'm sure he wouldn't be averse to answering a few questions… Bring him along!"

Two guards grabbed Mike and pulled him away.

_Well, at least we're in._


	11. Chapter 11

Mike was roughly dragged down a narrow path to where an unmarked military truck was waiting. He caught a glimpse of Sara and Seth through the rear doors, before being thrown onto the front seat, between two burly soldiers. He was frisked and his pockets emptied. To Mike's dismay, they found his Glock 17.

"Well well well, carrying a pistol on government property! You've got a death wish."

The truck drove down the bumpy track until they reached the main gate. The driver briefly conversed with a guard and they were waved through.

Mike was hauled out of the cab and pulled into a large entrance cut in the side of the mountain, closely followed by two pairs of guards carrying the still unconscious teenagers. They were taken to a windowless holding cell and bundled inside.

The door slammed shut, leaving them alone. One by one, Mike lifted the siblings onto a small pallet in the centre of the room and made them as comfortable as possible. He noticed small darts in their necks, which he removed as carefully as possible. They moaned in their sleep as he did so.

_Better get that out the way._

After a while, the teens started to wake up. Mike got up from the floor where he had been sitting and went over to them. It was Sara who woke first, sitting up sharply.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" Asked Mike.

"Where am I?" She questioned, confused.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're locked in a holding cell with me and your brother, inside Witch Mountain."

"Where are the others?"

"Gone." Replied Mike simply. He saw Sara's shoulders droop, and tried to cheer her up. "But I'm sure they'll come back for us."

Mike was nowhere near as confident as he sounded. He had seen how heavily guarded this place was. The only things that could get in and out were mice, insects and birds.

_Birds. That's an idea._

"What's an idea?" Inquired Sara. Mike had forgotten she had the ability to read his mind.

"Well…" He started, but was interrupted by Seth waking up, coughing.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Uuugh…" He spoke woozily. "What happened?"

"We got caught. Some guy in a suit turned up with a squad of machine-gun-toting apes and shot you guys down."

"Burke." Spat Seth, rubbing his neck.

There was a rattle outside the door, making them jump simultaneously. In trooped a squad of eight armed guards, closing the door behind them.

"All of you, up against the wall now! Hands where I can see 'em!" Shouted one. The trio obliged.

_Uh-oh. I know what happens next._

Two soldiers stepped forward and grasped Sara by the shoulders.

"SARA!" Seth yelled, making a lunge for his sister's captors. He grabbed the nearest one and, demonstrating impressive strength, threw him to the ground.

"Seth, no!" Shouted Sara, but it was too late. One of the other guards hurled himself at Seth, catching the boy in the midriff. The impact knocked him to the floor and Mike could hear the air escaping from Seth's battered lungs. The other soldiers started kicking him, laughing and mocking, while Mike and Sara watched helplessly, having been pinned to the wall by two other guards.

Eventually the guards tired of their sick sport and the leader crouched down beside the spread-eagled boy, placing a knee on his head. Seth gritted his teeth against the pain, determined not to give the soldiers the satisfaction of him crying out.

"Tough little nut to crack ain't ya." Snarled the guard, ruffling Seth's hair. After giving the teenager a parting kick in the ribs, the soldier led his men out.

The moment the door slammed shut, Sara rushed to her brother, closely followed by Mike. She was crying, and Mike realised she could feel the pain inside her brother's mind. He didn't feel too well either.

Seth was drifting in and out of consciousness and his body was just one dull throbbing pain. Mike placed a hand on the back of the boy's head.

"It's ok bud, it's ok. You're gonna be fine." He said soothingly, and motioned to Sara that they needed to turn him over.

"On 3… 2… 1… Roll."

Mike inspected the extent of Seth's injuries. He was badly bruised, bleeding in several places and had a nasty lump on his forehead. However, the most worrying thing was his left arm, which was badly out of position.

"Ok, looks like you've got a dislocated shoulder. We're gonna need to pop that back in for you matey."

Seth had drifted off again and Sara attempted to wake him. Mike lifted his hand. "Don't. Trust me, this'll wake him up. Shall I do the honours?"

Sara nodded, and Mike indicated where to brace.

"Let's go." Murmured Mike, and took a firm hold of the offending arm, moving it as gently as he could until he heard a click. Seth screamed, the sound echoing around the chamber.

"Yeah, not nice. It's all over now, we've got you." Mike reassured him.

Sara and Mike each placed a supporting arm around Seth, helping him to stand. They walked him over to the pallet and let him sit. Sara hugged her brother.

"Thank you." She said to Mike, who smiled and turned away.

_This has gone far enough._

There was another rattle at the door and Sara clutched at her brother in fright. Mike took up a position between them and the door, his fists clenched and his jaw set.

_Maybe I can take a few with me._

But the guard who opened the door wasn't one of the gang who had set upon Seth.

"You're off to the interrogation room." He said, sneering and pointing at Mike. "Better get your story straight."

For a split second Mike considered taking the soldier on, but this thought was instantly quashed by three other guards brandishing automatic weapons in his direction. Mike obediently walked through the door and allowed himself to be marched away.

_I'll be back._ He thought hard, hoping Sara could sense him through the rock.

"Get him in the truck."

Mike was pushed into the back of another covered truck, accompanied by a single guard, who sat opposite him. The truck drove off – back up the side of the mountain, Mike noticed.

As they were driving along a hair-raisingly narrow ledge, Mike spoke quietly.

"I… I feel sick."

The guard knew what this meant. He'd have to spend his time off-duty cleaning out the back of this truck. He quickly hauled Mike to his feet and unceremoniously stuck Mike's head out the back of the still-moving vehicle. Mike allowed himself a thin smile.

_Like a charm._

Striking suddenly, he kicked the guard between the legs with all his might. The guard doubled over, loosening his grip on Mike's shoulders for a split second. This was all Mike needed, and he somersaulted out of the truck, rolling over and over and _over the edge of the cliff._


	12. Chapter 12

_The only things that can get in and out are mice, insects and birds._

_Mice, insects and birds._

_Birds._

_Hmm._

_It's time to fly._

As Mike fell from the ledge, he manoeuvred himself in mid air into a skydiving X, stretching out his legs and flinging his arms out wide.

_I sure hope this works._

He felt for the cable in his left sleeve. There it was, a small jerk was all it would need. Mike closed his eyes and pulled.

_Geronimo._

Mike heard a loud _crack_ and opened his eyes. He wasn't dead, which was a good start. Nor was he still falling. He looked down at himself; he was wearing a wingsuit.


	13. Chapter 13

Mike soared high above the cliffs, heading back towards the entrance to Witch Mountain. He knew he had to get back to the alien siblings fast, before the truck driver raised the alarm. He banked right and the folds of polyester attached to his arms hummed joyfully. In the distance, he could see a tall column of smoke rising from about the location of the main gate.

_Funny. Maybe it's a bonfire._

As he flew closer, Mike saw that the smoke was coming from the checkpoint building, which was ablaze.

_I wonder what could have caused that._

Mike began his descent by moving both arms out in front of him, decreasing his wing surface. He then kicked his legs up, angling the delta tail towards the ground. He felt like Superman.

A bright spec appeared in front of him. It was getting larger by the second.

_What the…_

Mike spun himself to one side, dodging the oncoming fireball with centimeters to spare, so close he felt the raw heat brush against his exposed face and hands. Spreading his arms again, Mike recovered from the spin and scoured the ground below.

_There! It's that Siphon thingy again…_

Sure enough, there it was. The heavily armoured creature was making its purposeful way towards the entrance, engaging a large swarm of government soldiers. Their bullets were just bouncing off the alien creature, whereas its fire weapon was wreaking havoc among the guards.

_I'd love to stay and watch fellas, but I've got some kids to save._

Banking hard, he spiraled down into the hole in the side of Witch Mountain. He brought himself a few feet of the ground and released the cord in his left hand. The wingsuit deflated immediately and he hit the ground running. The area appeared to be completely deserted.

_Probably gone Siphon fighting. _Mike reasoned. _Good luck with that._

Spotting a sign declaring a room to be the duty-guard's office, Mike headed for the door. It was unlocked, and the room empty. Quickly searching a filing cabinet, he found the keys to the holding cell, Seth's tracking devices and, most importantly, his Glock.

_Did you miss me baby? 'Cos I missed you._

Slipping the weapon into his pocket, he stepped out the door and jogged to the cell, quickly unlocking it and throwing the door open. It was empty, except for two piles of clothes, stacked neatly in the corner.

_Damn, I'm too late! Now where the hell are they…_

Mike stepped back from the cell and cast a glance up the corridor. The sign bore the word _Laboratories, _followed by an arrow.

_Must be that-a-way._

Once again he broke into a jog, pulling out his handgun and flicking the safety to Live. After about twenty seconds he reached what appeared to be a huge cavern, carved out of the mountain. The whole area was full of white coated technicians, all engaged in scientific activities of some kind. In the far corner of the cave there was a white building directly beside a glass operating theatre. And inside that clear box, securely manacled to tables and heavily sedated, were Seth and Sara.

_How the heck am I gonna make it across without getting seen?!_

Somehow, Mike doubted the wingsuit was going to help very much - for the second time in as many days, he needed a distraction. And it was the loudspeaker system that answered his prayers.

"RED ALERT. SECURITY BREACH. RED ALERT. SECURITY BREACH."

Mike realised the Siphon must've finished with the guards at the main gate and was probably somewhere in the mountain. Hearing the alarm, the occupants of the huge chamber quickly filed out, leaving only the scientists working on Seth and Sara.

_This is my chance._

He was preparing to make a dash for the glass box when he noticed two shadowy figures on the other side of the cave, hiding behind a baggage cart. Creeping closer, Mike saw it was Jack and Alex.

_They came back!_ He thought incredulously. Then: _Let's get this party started._

The baggage cart began to move, and Jack moved beside it, as stealthily as his large frame would allow, closely followed by Alex. Mike picked his moment, and sprinted across the cave floor to join them.

"Mike! You're ok!" Jack whispered, mightily relieved.

"Good to see you too." Mike smiled. "We have to get to Sara and Seth before this alert's over."

"You leave this to me." Muttered the cabbie grimly. The trio parted company with the cart as soon as it reached the wall and crawled towards the white building adjacent to the glass room.

"Wait here and cover us." Jack instructed Mike. "And no running off this time!"

"Ha frickin' ha." Replied Mike, crouching down behind some boxes and facing the entrance tunnel.

Jack and Alex rapidly searched a bank of lockers and found what they were looking for. White suits, identical to those worn by the scientists in the glass chamber. They donned them and made their way through the airlock, into the operating theatre. A festival of violence ensued, with Alex karate kicking a scientist and Jack smashing a table over another one's head.

Several broken bones later, all resistance had been subdued and Alex got to work switching off the sedation while Jack paced about, anxiously. Eventually the doctor found the switch and turned it off, causing the teens to stir immediately. This time it was Seth who woke up first. He slipped through his manacles like they weren't even there.

_That taxi cab back seat trick again._

Alex put her arm round the alien and said something – Mike couldn't hear what, for the glass was soundproof. Then Sara awoke, her manacles popping open seemingly of their own accord.

_That mind of hers is scary._

Jack went over to Sara and helped her up from the metal operating table. Again, Mike could see the cabby's mouth move but he couldn't distinguish what was being said.

A sharp noise caused Mike to turn his attention back to the tunnel. Jogging down it was a squad of soldiers, lead by Henry Burke. Mike jumped up, and banged on the wall of the chamber.

"Hey! We got company!" He shouted.

The party inside the glass room looked at him blankly.

Goddammit, they can't hear me.

He frantically indicated the direction of the main tunnel and mimed a person walking. At least they got the message and Sara, Seth, Jack and Alex exited a chamber, the latter two throwing off their suits as they ran.

"Go go go!" Said Mike, ushering them out of the airlock. He handed Seth the tracking devices.

"Here ya go. Now, which way is your ship?" He asked.

Seth studied his device for a second, pocketing the other one. Mike noticed he and Sara were dressed in a loose white medical overalls.

"This way." The alien replied and set off for one of the many small exit tunnels, closely followed by the others. At that moment, the squad of soldiers entered the hall.

Mike heard a bellow of rage from Burke. "Open fire!" He cried, and the soldiers began taking pot shots at the retreating quintet. Mike, who was last, felt the bullets whiz past his head, impacting with the wall on his left.

With Seth leading the way, they pelted down the empty corridors. There was no sign of pursuit, but that was probably due to the mazy layout of the place.

It was so mazy in fact, that Mike didn't see the guard until it was too late. The soldier fired twice, the shots crashing into Mike's chest and sending him flying backwards into a metal pipe. The guard smirked, lowered his gun and strolled towards his fallen foe. Through a red haze, Mike saw him coming and his right hand scrabbled for the Glock. He couldn't find it.

Mike knew his time had come and closed his eyes, feeling the cold barrel of his enemy's weapon press against his forehead.

_I make it through all that, and a random oaf with a machine gun finishes me off. Now that's just careless._

"OOF!"

A startled grunt issued from the guard's throat and Mike could no longer feel the weapon between his eyes. He cautiously opened them. In front of him was the unconscious soldier and there, crouching beside the body, was Jack.

The cabby unzipped Mike's jacket top, and the others anxiously crowded around. There was a large swollen purple mark on his chest, but no bullet holes.

Mike breathed painfully, his words coming in short bursts. "Jacket… Seventy percent… Kevlar. You don't think… I wear it… As a fashion statement do you…"

This raised a smile from Jack and Alex. Even after being shot he still retained his sense of humour.

"We need to go." It was Seth who spoke. "It's not safe here."

"You're right." Muttered Jack, moving to pick up Mike.

"No… I'll slow you down… I can hold them off here for a bit… Buy you some time…"

Jack ignored him, and helped Mike stand.

"You're coming with us. Never leave a man behind, and plus we're gonna need a seventy percent Kevlar meatshield." Said Jack dryly. "Let's move, people!"


	14. Chapter 14

They hurried down the corridor, ducking under some pipes to avoid being seen by a pair of workers on the catwalk above. Jack motioned to follow them. The metal gantry led to a smaller cave, containing a smooth metal object surrounded by teams of scientists. Seth indicated that the object was their ship.

The party crouched down behind a pile of crates. Mike was struggling for breath.

"We have to hurry." Sara whispered.

"We'll tell them that." Replied Jack sarcastically.

"Good idea." Cut in Alex. She wasn't being ironic. Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed a white coat from on top of the crates, flung it on, and marched out into plain sight with an irritated expression etched across her features.

"Excuse me!" She yelled, and something told Mike she didn't mean this politely. "Do you not hear the alarms? Work in this sector is to cease immediately."

The scientist stopped work and came across to scrutinise the intruder. It looked like the leader was about to say something, so Alex cut him off.

"We have off the chart readings of sodium hydrochloride, zenon, hydrazine, and you don't even want to know how bad the gamma radiation is. You're going to have to do some serious, and I mean serious, scrubbing down."

Seth and Sara nodded knowledgeably from behind the crates. Jack and Mike looked at each other in disbelief.

While most of the scientists looked convinced, there were several who obviously weren't.

"Who are you?" The leader questioned.

"Who... who am I? Who am I?!" Alex exploded in apparent disbelief. "I'll tell you who I am. I am your worst nightmare. There's a Court Marshall waiting for you, soldier! Now you either do as you're told, or I can go tell Henry Burke, that you disobeyed his direct orders. It's your call. Make sure you choose wisely."

The scientist was stunned into submission. Without taking his eyes of Alex, he motioned for the rest of his team to follow and almost ran for the exit. He didn't want to cross this woman.

Jack, Mike, Sara and Seth watched them go from behind the crates. As soon as they had all gone, the four stood up. The two humans stared at Alex, amazed and she curtsied in their direction.

"Thank you, thank you."

Meanwhile Sara and Seth had gone to the ship and placed the tracking device on the hull. Suddenly the ship lit up and started to hum. A few seconds later, a hatch opened and a ramp slid down.

Jack and Mike joined Alex and together they started walking up the ramp to where the teenagers were waiting. They were stopped in their tracks by the loud sound of cocking guns.

"Thank you, we were having a hard time figuring that part out." The mocking tones of Henry Burke rang out around the hanger.

Jack stepped forward threateningly. There was not much he could do against assault rifles, but his big frame was menacing all the same.

"Jack!" Alex grabbed his arm, preventing him from going any further. Sara and Seth stepped forwards, standing in line with the humans.

"A brave but empty gesture, Mr. Bruno." Chuckled Burke.

"They're just kids!" Yelled Jack, but Alex kept hold of his arm.

Mike noticed that Seth had pushed to the centre of the line and was holding hands with Jack and Sara.

_I wonder what he's up to…_

Sara pulled Mike closer and grasped his hand firmly.

_Mike, Seth has an idea._

_Ah, hello again Sara!_

_Whatever you do, don't let go of my hand._

_Don't worry, I wasn't planning on doing that._

The three humans and two aliens had now all joined hands and were standing across the loading ramp of the ship, their backs illuminated by the light shining from the hull.

Henry Burke stood on the catwalk, observing the proceedings. He raised his arm.

"Commander! Fire at will!" He said.

The humans and Sara closed their eyes. Seth however kept his wide open, steely determination radiating from his very being.

The soldiers opened fire, sending thousands of rounds searing through the air towards the quintet. But no shots hit them. Bewildered, the soldiers kept on firing.

Seth was concentrating hard on keeping the force field around them up, it was tiring and was sapping his already depleted strength. He knew he couldn't afford a single lapse in concentration – that would mean certain death for at least one of the group.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Screamed Burke, enraged that the bullets were having no effect on the targets. At a signal from their commander, the soldiers surrounding the alien craft began hastily reloading their firearms.

Seth finally let the force field drop and relaxed, exhausted. There was no time for rest though as Jack grabbed the boy and thrust him towards the ship.

"Go go! Run run run!" The cabbie shouted, and they turned and bolted for the open hatchway. As soon as they were all inside Sara touched a button and the doors began to hiss shut. Suddenly there was an explosion in the cave and, through the crack in the rapidly closing door, Mike saw the Siphon blast a huge hole in the hangar wall.

"You gotta get this thing up in the air, quick!" Mike said urgently, grabbing onto the left-hand pilot's seat.

"Yeah, let's go!" Jack agreed..

"Activating shields!"

"Power at twenty-five percent and increasing."

"Hey, umm… You do know how to fly this thing, right?" The cabbie inquired, suddenly looking concerned.

"How do you think we got here." Returned Seth, without taking his eyes of the controls.

"Well, you crashed, remember?" Muttered Jack, looking even more worried. Alex squeezed his hand, surreptitiously feeling for a handhold on the back of Seth's chair.

Mike clung onto the pilot seat for dear life as the ship finished powering up and tilted alarmingly.

"That way, that way!" Sara said to her brother, who nodded.

Seth expertly spun the alien craft to face yet another exit tunnel, and they sped off into it. It was hardly wide enough to fit the ship, which kept scraping the sides. At last the ship shot out of the tunnel and into the clear night sky.


	15. Chapter 15

"We did it. We actually did it." Breathed Mike.

"We did it, we did it!" The humans released their grip on the seats and hugged one another. Suddenly the craft shook, causing them to fall over.

"What… Was that?" Asked Alex cautiously.

"The air lock is jammed. I need to manually override the system." Replied Seth calmly.

"You two fly the ship, just tell me what to do." Said Jack, getting to his feet with some difficulty.

Seth nodded and quickly explained to Jack what to do. The cabby took it all in and moved through a door to the back of the ship.

Moments later there was a large _thump_ and the craft took up an alarming attitude.

"Jack! Are you ok back there?" Shouted Alex. There was no reply.

"The airlock is still causing a pressurisation imbalance." Sara reported.

"I'm going back there." Seth called over his shoulder. "But I need someone to help Sara - it takes two to pilot the ship."

"Umm… I guess I can try." Ventured Mike.

_After all, how hard can it be._

Mike strode over and Seth vacated the seat, running for the door Jack had left through.

_Okaaay, pretty damn hard._

"You'll be fine Mike." Sara spoke calmly. "Do you know how to fly an aeroplane?"

"No!" Mike answered.

"No problem, this is nothing like flying an aeroplane. Just put your hands on the screen and move them like this." Sara showed him a few movements. "There, perfect."

_I'm flying a spaceship. I'm actually flying a bloody great spaceship! All we need now is the Star Trek theme._

_The Star Wars theme is far superior._

_Woah, you've gotta stop doing that. Know what you mean though._

_On our planet, there is something called Earth Wars – you would refer to it as a Television Program._

_And what does that involve?_

_The relationships between a number of people living in an eastern area of England's capital city. It causes great hilarity among my family._

_Wait… That show's called Eastenders. It's supposed to be a drama._

_We find it highly amusing._

_Same._

They were broken out of their mental conversation by Seth and Jack walking back though the door. Mike gratefully relinquished the pilot seat to Seth, who pressed a few buttons and immediately the ship resumed level flight. They flew on into the night, leaving Henry Burke and Witch Mountain far, far behind.


	16. Chapter 16

"You must hurry. It will be only a matter of time before they get here." Said Sara.

"Don't you worry about us." Replied Jack.

Their ship had landed in a deserted area, not all that far from where Sara and Seth had initially crashed. The group were standing at the bottom of the craft's ramp. They all knew this would be the last time they saw each other, at least for a while.

"Sara and I want you to have this." Seth handed Jack his tracking device. As long as it's in your possession we'll always be able to find you."

"Thanks." Said the cabbie, turning away and fighting back tears.

Alex stepped forward and hugging the two teenagers tightly. "Your parents would be very proud of what you've done here."

"Thank you Alex." Murmured Sara.

Seth went to Jack and pulled him aside.

"I once said that we could never count on humans to help us, especially you. I was wrong, and for that I'm sorry." Seth apologised.

"You take care of yourself and your sister, understand?" Replied Jack gruffly.

"Yes." Said Seth and moved on to Mike as Sara hugged the cabbie. Seth and Mike stood in front of one another awkwardly.

"Sooo… How's the arm?" Mike inquired.

"Better. And your ribs?"

"They'll heal. Listen… It's been fun." Mike extended his hand for Seth to shake. The alien stared at it uncomprehendingly.

Mike laughed. "Here, like this." He placed his hand in Seth's and shook it. "Human gesture." He offered, by way of explanation.

"I see. Umm… I have something else for you. I would like you to… Keep this." Seth said haltingly and handed Mike the other tracking device. It was the one Mike had given him the night before the casino.

"Are you sure? My Dad just stole it from one of your explorers, it isn't mine."

"It is now. Your Father simply did what he thought was right. If you hadn't done that, we would not be here now."

Mike didn't know what to say. Luckily, Seth continued.

"Thank you for all your help, Mike. My sister and I will not forget you."

"Anytime." Mike smiled.

With that, Seth turned and walked back to his ship. Sara came over to Mike and they embraced.

_Good luck with whatever path you choose, Michael Etherington. But please do not choose that which you walk at present. Your wingsuit cannot save you forever._

_Hold on… How did you know about that?_

_Don't forget, I can read your mind._

_Then what else do you know?_

_I know that yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery and today is a gift. That is why it is called the present._

_Don't you quote Kung Fu Panda at me, alien._

_Good film, don't you think?_

_Yeah, but I bet they made it into a murder mystery on your planet. "Who Killed Master Oogway" by A. Panda._

_Anyway, my point is that you should leave the past behind you. Skilled as you are, the life of a mercenary is not a pleasant one._

_I prefer the term "vigilante". I don't work for crooks._

_It is your choice, just… Be careful Mike._

_Trust me, I will. Y'know, I'm gonna miss these conversations._

_That goes for me too._

_Make sure you come and visit once in a while._

_Just try and stop us._

Mike knelt, took her hand in his and kissed it, winking at Seth as he did so.

"_Mademoiselle_ – your carriage awaits." Mike said, motioning to the alien ship. He turned and went to join the other two humans.

"You guys remember that we're only a... A wormhole away!" Called Jack, holding hands with Alex.

Sara went to join her brother at the foot of the ramp. "I want you to promise me something - take care of Junkyard for me." She said.

"Anything you want." Replied Jack, his voice close to breaking.

"It's time." Murmured Seth and began making his way up the ramp, followed by his sister. When they reached the top, they waved one last time and the humans waved back. Sara shouted something but the wind from the craft's engines took away her words.

The doors hissed shut and the ship began to hum, rising higher and higher into the sky. Before long the craft had vanished without trace, its bright lights lost among the twinkling stars.

_**- The End -**_

**And there it is, thanks so much for reading! If you could find the time to write a review that would make me very, very, very, very (etc) happy. :D Critiscm also welcome. I hope you enjoyed it and liked what I did with Mike. This was the beginning of him as a character and he appears in several of my stories, most notably in the title role of "Wingman". I first had the idea after I saw the movie and realised a cool way of exploring his personality would be to write him in as the main character. After all, an all-action vigilante in a leather bullet-proof wingsuit would be a credit to any film! :P**

**If anyone is interested, I could publish a few of my other stories too - please let me know if you are!  
**

**Ta-ra for now!  
**

**-Bagel  
**


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